On December 19th, 2011 the Government of Vanuatu [by its Department of Environment and the endorsement of its Minister of Lands] officially registered the EdenHope Nature Preserve as a Community Conservation Area. This date was coincidental with the fifth anniversary [in 2006] when Ruth & Stephen were granted residence in Vanuatu – which they sought in order to establish Edenhope. It had taken nearly six years to realize the dream!

In granting official recognition to EdenHope, a statement was made to the world [if it pays any serious attention to what happens in Vanuatu] …that the EdenHope Project, by its Certification, had become a constitutionally-acknowledged fact in the [environmental] history of Vanuatu. In the event, its regulations now carried the weight of law.

The effort to bring the Project to fruition was the most satisfying of the partnership Ruth and Stephen had established …even if one of the most difficult. It was the crowning achievement in their eventful and adventurous life together.

East of Eden is consecrated, above all, to Massau’u …and hence to Mother Earth. “…We come as pilgrims, grow to become acolytes, then fall to our knees in awe of …Great Spirit”.

‘It is said that ‘you can’t go home again’…. But that is a desperate premise – it comes from a deficit of spirit. “We are home…! even if still getting used to the idea!”

We share here with you [on this website] …the Spirit-Thoughts and Visions of the elder Hopi other ‘Native’ American brethren. They really got so much of it right that we are overcome with respect. The truth that resonates in their messages …is palpable - so it is a great privilege to include much of it here, for you to contemplate.

Grandfather, too, was a most powerful guide for us; thus I recognize Tom Brown Jr for the abiding respect for Stalking Wolf he has shared. He has become our ‘grandfather’ too …as we honor the profound wisdom of this Apache legend. His prophesy: “Night of the Red Sky” …is a mantra that guides us. Is it not ironic that such indigenous wisdom is the most resonant of all…?

There must somewhere be a final word, a moment of final conviction ….when in its totality one can see the raison d’etre for all that has ever been - the seemingly endless to-ings and fro-ings, cessions and digressions from Natural Law …that have, it seems, plagued our species and the Universe, for much too long now. Perhaps we now have the opportunity to finally rid ourselves of this recurring disposition to insanity …to which we so easily fall prey. Perhaps now we shall leave it behind …with all the detritus it has wrought.

As we each approach the inevitable altar; it is fitting that we acknowledge the thousand and one generations it has taken us to get here – and appreciate that we are only a part of the ultimate ‘game’ …and in that humility may we find our Divinity.

We are reminded of the words of Al Q”yawayma:

“In January 1991 I was invited to attend a joint international meeting between the UN and the Club of Rome, attended by scientists, religious leaders, artists, poets and leaders.

“A theme of the meeting was The Third Millennium. As stated by Thomas Berry, ‘We are entering not simply the twenty-first century, not simply the Third Millennium of our Era, we are entering the Ectozoic Era in the biological story of the planet.

“We are experiencing massive extinctions of living forms on a scale equalled only by the extinctions at the close of the Paleozoic era 220 million years ago and the end of the Mesozoic era 65 million years ago. The only choice we now have before us is how we will participate in the emerging Ectozoic era, forming an integral earth community that includes all the human and non-human elements of planet earth.

“As the meeting progressed. I was struck more and more with the familiarity of the ideas. Finally, I made the connection. Today’s newest thinking of the world as a communion of subjects, and our role in the integral functioning of the natural world - these are ideas that were spoken by Chief Seattle 137 years ago.

“In 1854, the “Great White Chief’ in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a “reservation” for the Indian people. Chief Seattle’s poetic reply is one of the most profound statements ever [made] on the relationship between earth and man:-

“What is man without the beast? If all the beasts
were gone, man would die from a great loneliness
of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts,
soon happens to man. All things are connected.
Teach your children what we have taught our
children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever
befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon
themselves. This we know: The earth does not
belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we
know. All things are connected like the blood
which unites one family. All things are
connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the
sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of
life: he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he
does to the web, he does to himself. This earth
is precious to Him (God), and to harm the earth
is to heap contempt on its creator.”

* * *

Hopi Plea at UN

Jan 1st, 2014 by admin Edit |
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Hopi Message to the United Nations
Presented by Mr Thomas Banyacya
of The Hopi Sovereign Nation
Kykotsmovi, Arizona
on December 10, 1992
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The presentation by Mr Thomas Banyacya, the final speaker, was preceded by three shouts by Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Six Nations, and first speaker of the day.
The shouts were a spiritual announcement to the Great Spirit of the people assembled and the intention to give a message of spiritual importance.
Thomas then sprinkled corn meal next to the podium of the General Assembly and made a brief remark in Hopi that translates as follows:
Hopi Spiritual leaders had an ancient prophecy that some day world leaders would gather in a Great House of Mica with rules and regulations to solve the world problems without war.
I am amazed to see the prophecy has come true and you are here today!
But only a handful of United Nations Delegates are present to hear the Motee Sinom (Hopi for First People) from around the world who spoke here today.
=============================================
(In English:)
My name is Banyacya of the Wolf, Fox and Coyote Clan and I am a member of the Hopi sovereign nation.
Hopi in our language means a peaceful, kind, gentle, truthful people.
The traditional Hopi follows the spiritual path that was given to us by Massau’u the Great Spirit.
We made a sacred covenant to follow his life plan at all times, which includes the responsibility of taking care of this land and life for his divine purpose.
We have never made treaties with any foreign nation, including the United States, but for many centuries we have honored this sacred agreement.
Our goals are not to gain political control, monetary wealth nor military power, but rather to pray and to promote the welfare of all living beings and to preserve the world in a natural way.
We still have our ancient sacred stone tablets and spiritual religious societies which are the foundations of the Hopi way of life.
Our history says our white brother should have retained those same sacred objects and spiritual foundations.
In 1948, all traditional Hopi spiritual leaders met and spoke of things I felt strongly were of great importance to all people.
They selected four interpreters to carry their message of which I am the only one still living today.
At the time, I was given a sacred prayer feather by the spiritual leaders.
I made a commitment to carry the Hopi message of peace and deliver warnings from prophesies known since the time the previous world was destroyed by flood and our ancestors came to this land.
My mission was to open the doors of this Great House of Mica to native peoples.
The Elders said to knock four times and this commitment was fulfilled when I delivered a letter and the sacred prayer feather I had been given to John Washburn in the Secretary General’s office in October, 1991.
I am bringing part of the Hopi message to you here today.
We have only ten minutes to speak and time is late so I am making my statement short.
At the meeting in 1948, Hopi leaders 80, 90 and even 100 years old explained that the creator made the first world in perfect balance where humans spoke one language, but humans turned away from moral and spiritual principles.
They misused their spiritual powers for selfish purposes.
They did not follow nature’s rules.
Eventually the world was destroyed by sinking of land and separation of land by what you would call major earthquakes.
Many died and only a small handful survived.
Then this handful of peaceful people came into the second world.
They repeated their mistakes and the world was destroyed by freezing which you call the great Ice Age.
The few survivors entered the third world.
That world lasted a long time and as in previous worlds, the people spoke one language.
The people invented many machines and conveniences of high technology, some of which have not yet been seen in this age.
They even had spiritual powers that they used for good.
They gradually turned away from natural laws and pursued only material things and finally only gambled while they ridiculed spiritual principles.
No one stopped them from this course and the world was destroyed by the great flood that many nations still recall in their ancient history or in their religions.
The Elders said again only a small groups escaped and came to this fourth world where we now live.
Our world is in terrible shape again even though the Great Spirit gave us different languages and sent us to four corners of the world and told us to take care the the Earth and all that is in it.
This Hopi ceremonial rattle represents Mother Earth.
The line running around it is a time line and indicates that we are in the final days of the prophecy.
What have you, as individuals, as nations and as the world body been doing to to take care of this Earth?
In the Earth today, humans poison their own food, water and air with pollution.
Many of us, including children, are left to starve.
Many wars are still being fought.
Greed and concern for material things is a common disease.
In this western hemisphere, our homeland, many original native people are landless, homeless, starving and have no medical help.
The Hopi knew humans would develop many powerful technologies that would be abused.
In this century, we have seen the First World War and the Second World War in which the predicted gourd of ashes, which you call the atomic bomb, fell from the sky with great destruction.
Many thousands of people were destroyed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For many years there has been great fear and danger of World War Three.
The Hopi believe the Persian Gulf War was the beginning of World War Three but it was stopped and the worst weapons of destruction were not used.
This is now a time to weigh the choices for our future.
We do have a choice.
If you, the nations of this Earth, create another great war, the Hopi believe we humans will burn ourselves to death with ashes.
That’s why the spiritual Elders stress strongly that the United Nations fully open the door for native spiritual leaders as soon as possible.
Nature itself does not speak with a voice that we can easily understand.
Neither can the animals and birds we are threatening with extinction talk to us.
Who in this world can speak for nature and the spiritual energy that creates and flows through all life?
In every continent are human beings who are like you but who have not separated themselves from the land and from nature.
It is through their voice that Nature can speak to us.
You have heard those voices and many messages from the four corners of the world today.
I have studied comparative religion and I think in your own nations and cultures you have knowledge of the consequences of living out of balance with nature and spirit.
The native peoples of the world have seen and spoken to you about the destruction of their lives and homelands, the ruination of nature and the desecration of their sacred sites.
It is time the United Nations used its rules to investigate these occurrences and stop them now.
The Four Corners area of the Hopi is bordered by four sacred mountains.
The spiritual center within is a sacred site our prophecies say will have special purpose in the future for mankind to survive and now should be left in its natural state.
All nations must protect this spiritual center.
The Hopi and all original native people hold the land in balance by prayer, fasting and performing ceremonies.
Our spiritual Elders still hold the land in the Western Hemisphere in balance for all living beings, including humans.
No one should be relocated from their sacred homelands in this Western Hemisphere or anywhere in the world.
Acts of forced relocation, such as Public Law 93-531 in the United States, must be repealed.
The United Nations stands on our native homeland.
The United Nations talks about human rights, equality and justice and yet the native people have never had a real opportunity to speak to this assembly since its establishment until today.
It should be the mission of your nations and this assembly to use your power and rules to examine and work to cure the damage people have done to this Earth and to each other.
Hopi Elders know that was your mission and they wait to see whether you will act on it now.
Nature, the First People and the spirit of our ancestors are giving you loud warnings.
Today, December 10, 1992, you see increasing floods, more damaging hurricanes, hail storms, climate changes and earthquakes as our prophesies said would come.
Even animals and birds are warning us with strange change in their behavior such as the beaching of whales.
Why do animals act like they know about the earth’s problems and most humans act like they know nothing?
If we humans do not wake up to the warnings, the great purification will come to destroy this world just as the previous worlds were destroyed.
(Thomas and Oren Lyons held up a picture of a large rock drawing in Hopiland)
This rock drawing shows part of the Hopi prophecy.
There are two paths.
The first with technology but separate from natural and spiritual law leads to these jagged lines representing chaos. The lower path is one that remains in harmony with natural law.
Here we see a line that represents a choice like a bridge joining the paths.
If we return to spiritual harmony and live from our hearts, we can experience a paradise in this world.
If we continue only on this upper path, we will come to destruction.
Its up to all of us, as children of Mother Earth, to clean up this mess before it’s too late.
The Elders request that during this International Year for the Worlds Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations keep that door open for spiritual leaders from the four corners of the world to come to speak to you for more than a few minutes as soon as possible.
The Elders also request that eight investigative teams visit the native areas of the world to observe and tell the truth about what is being done and stop these nations from moving in this self- destructive direction.
If any of you leaders want to learn more about the spiritual vision and power of the Elders, I invite you to come out to Hopiland and sit down with our real spiritual leaders in their sacred Kivas where they will reveal the ancient secrets of survival and balance.
I hope that all members of this assembly that know the spiritual way will not just talk about it, but in order to have real peace and harmony, will follow what it says across the United Nations wall:
“They will beat their swords into plowshares and study war no more.”
Lets, together, do that now!
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Epilogue
The night before the presentations of the native people from around the world to the General Assembly, there was a total eclipse of the moon over New York City and the sky was clear.
The evening after the presentation by Mr Banyacya and the other native spokespersons, heavy rain and strong wind began.
The weathermen had been calling for a snowstorm but what came the following day were the worst floods in New York’s memory.
Major highways were washed away by the sea and the United Nations itself experienced flooding of its lower subfloors, forcing a shutdown of its heating and air conditioning and all personnel were dismissed at three o’clock.
In the ground floor meeting room, where on December 11, native peoples were meeting representatives of various UN agencies, Thomas Banyacya spontaneously called on all the participants, including UN officials, to form a great circle.
All the Elders were in the center and Thomas called in some non-native people as well.
Each silently said a prayer.
The forming of the circle of unity of all people from the four corners of the Earth was more than just a symbolic act.
One participant said she had never felt herself to be in such a safe place.
Later, several people present noted that no further storm damage occurred in Manhattan and that the storm itself abated that afternoon.
…..Edenhope: Thank you, dear brother Thomas….

“You have been telling people that this is the eleventh hour.
Now you must go back and tell people that this is the hour!
And there are things to be considered:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your Garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to yourself.
And not look outside of yourself for a leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing very fast. It is so great and fast that there are those who will be afraid. They will hold on to the shore. They will feel that they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly. Know that the river has its destination.
The elders say that we must let go of the shore,
push off into the middle of the river,
keep our eyes open,
and our heads above the water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.
At this time we are to take nothing personally,
least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do,
our spiritual growth comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones that we have been waiting for.”

- The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation

People of Turtle Island Memory of Original Teachings

The Native People of this Turtle Island hold within a memory of the original teachings. Those given to us by the Creator. They know in their hearts that this is our Mother. That there is a link that ties every living thing to each other. In the Web of life they still remember when we were all one tribe, the Human tribe.

Ghost Wolf

My people are a multitude of one.
Many voices are within them.
Many lives they have lived as various beings.
They could have been a bear, a lion, an eagle or even
A rock, a river, or a tree
Who Knows?
All of these beings are within them.
They can use them any time they want.
On some days it is good to be a tree.
Looking out in all directions at once.
On some days it is better to be a rock
Saying nothing and blind to everything.
On some days the only thing to do is
To fight fiercely like a lion.
Then, too, there are reasons for being an eagle.
When life becomes too hard here
My people can fly away and see
How small the earth really is.
Then they can laugh and come back home again.